Wednesday, October 12, 2011

If you are looking for a pet for your home, and want to avoid getting something that will cause household odor, popular pets that are low on odors include chinchillas, rats, hermit crabs, and fish. If you already have a pet at home that is causing unpleasant odors, it’s best to educate yourself on the most effective methods of removing pet odor. The four most common offenders are dogs, cats, ferrets and rabbits, and according to the 2007/2008 U.S Pet Owners Survey , more than 171 million American households have one or more of these pets.

Dogs – Cocker spaniels, shar peis, basset hounds, and bloodhounds have a reputation for being among the smelliest of dogs. While different breeds of dogs can be smellier than others, all dogs, especially outdoor dogs, can develop an unpleasant smell from playing, eating, rolling, getting wet, or relieving themselves.

Get Rid of Dog Odor:
• Bathe with dog shampoo (mix in some EM•1® at about 1oz per quart of shampoo) and conditioner and then dry thoroughly
• Clean out ears (this is especially important for dogs like cocker spaniels that are more prone to ear infections)
• Brush teeth with dog toothpaste
• Groom and trim matted fur
• Switch to natural dog food to avoid preservatives or ingredients that can upset dogs’ stomachs
• Try fatty-acid supplements like fish oil to aid in digestion
•Spray your dog with a mixture of EM•1® and water at a rate of 1 ounce EM•1® per quart of water. Spray till moist.
• Clean carpets and furniture with EM•1® to remove pet odors
If odor still persists consult a veterinarian, as this can signal a skin infection or other serious disease.

Cats– Domestic cats are descendants of desert dwelling cats, so their bodies are well adapted to avoid dehydration- meaning that their urine is highly concentrated. While cats themselves do not smell as strongly as dogs (due to different behaviors and grooming habits), cat urine has a pungent unmistakable odor.

Get Rid of Cat Odor:
• Scoop litter boxes frequently
• Clean litter box out completely at least once a month with EM•1® Microbial Inoculant
•Add 1 cup of EM•1® Bokashi to the fresh litter to control odors
• Clean up accidents on rugs immediately to avoid lingering pet odor. Use a strong solution of EM•1® and water (1 part EM•1® to 10 parts water) and soak the area. Repeat if necessary
• Vacuum up cat hair and dander regularly
• Older cats may have trouble cleaning themselves so wiping them down with a damp facecloth with some EM•1® can help them to get their fur clean

Ferrets– Ferrets belong to the same family as skunks, which means that in the wild they can have a seriously strong odor. Ferrets sold in pet stores almost always have these glands at the rear removed so they cannot spray, but the glands behind their ears remain, and can emit a musky smell.

Get Rid of Ferret Odor:
• Spay/neuter
• Avoid foods with fish oil
• Bathe with ferret shampoo and conditioner and EM•1® at about 1oz per quart of shampoo
• Add 1 cup of EM•1® Bokashi to the fresh litter to control odors
• Clean out cage to remove musk and ammonia odor from urine
• Deodorize with EM•1® to remove pet odor from carpet in the room where the ferret cage is located, as carpets and fabrics can easily absorb smells

Rabbits–Rabbits produce a kind of two types of feces. Their “night feces” are called cecotropes, and are known for a potent smell and sticky texture. Cecotropes can easily become stuck in a rabbit’s fur and cause the rabbit to have the same strong odor.

Get Rid of Rabbit Odor:
• Amend diet (cutting out fruits and vegetables for a day or two) if excrement is runny
• Powder fur with cornflower to remove stuck-on feces
• Wash cage with EM•1®, which uses natural beneficial bacteria to break down fecal matter
• Do not bathe rabbits, as they are severely hydrophobic
• Spray cage with a solution of EM•1® and water (1:32) a couple times per week. Spraying the metal on the cages is good as the antioxidants in the EM•1® also help prevent rust.

Interest in probiotics (beneficial bacteria) and digestive health has been on the rise for more than a decade. No longer solely tied to the holistic and alternative healthcare markets, probiotic cultures are now also championed by the mainstream medical community. This is because the ties between digestive health and one’s overall well-being are undeniable. Studies have shown that probiotics can stave off infections as well as prevent certain allergies, eczema and even asthma. Your digestive health not only directly affects how your body processes food and absorbs the nutrients required for survival; it also influences your immune system and filters out waste and toxins. If your digestive health is out of whack, you will likely suffer from an assortment of symptoms, with everything from low energy to lackluster skin, and even yeast infections (Candida albicans).

TeraGanix is now offering a new 16-ounce option of Dr Higa’s original, all-natural multi-microbial probiotic – Pro EM•1®. This convenient size provides a one-month supply of the probiotic cleanse at nearly a third of the cost. A bottle can be ordered individually or set to be delivered every other month without incurring any shipping charges.

Pro EM•1® Daily Probiotic Cleanse detoxifies the digestive system, helping to supply bio-available nutrients to the body while also supporting the growth of other beneficial microbes in the digestive system. Pro EM•1® also features the highly sought after Lactobacillus plantarum, which has been accredited with alleviating uncomfortable yeast infections (Candida albicans). Asthma sufferers can especially benefit as the probiotics can quell asthma and allergy symptoms while also staving off oral yeast infections, an issue for higher dose steroid inhaler users. The detoxifying agents also include naturally synthesized vitamins, enzymes, and other antioxidant compounds and the photosynthetic, or phototrophic, microbes that are known to break down various toxic compounds. This prevents toxins and pathogens from contaminating and producing negative effects on the body while boosting the body’s ability to absorb nutrients and antioxidants.

To learn more about how probiotics can bolster your digestive and over-all health, please visit the Digestive Health section of the TeraGanix site.

Friday, October 07, 2011

What: Foliar feeding is highly effective method to deliver extra nutrients to plants through their leaves. Applying nutrients directly to the leaves disperses the nutrients throughout the plant more quickly. It’s often used to supplement plants grown in nutrient deficient soil or as a way to complement standard fertilization of soil.

Why: Research dating back more than 50 years supports using foliar feeding as a way to enhance plant growth and crop yields. Plant Researcher Dr. H.B. Tukey of Michigan State University has championed foliar feeding due to its continued success in his experiments. He found that by applying nutrients directly through the leaves, plants were able to absorb and utilize those nutrients with 95% efficiency verse just 10% efficiency from traditional soil fertilizer feeding.

How: To enjoy the plant nutrient uptake benefits of foliar feeding, first create a nutrient rich solution to spray onto the leaves. Successful farming programs note that the best results happen when spraying anywhere from 1/2 gallon to 5 gallons of the solution per acre per week. To create the solution, mix a 3-5% solution of microbial inoculate such as Activated EM-1 along with a 2-5% nutrient solution. For natural fertilizers, feel free to use the higher density EM-1 solution, but with traditional fertilizers, use a lower potency solution. Load up the solution in a spray rig or sprayer, depending on your preference and crop selection. Spray leaves until they are glistening with the solution, but not so much that they are dripping wet.

When to foliar feed Typically, it’s advised to conduct foliar feeding when it’s humid outside. This helps open up the stomata, the pores of the leaves, so that they are ready to drink up the nutrient-rich solution. Additionally, stomata tend to open up during daylight hours and cooler temperatures; therefore, it’s advised to foliar feed in the evening or early dawn to have a balance between light, temperature and humidity. Stomata also open when conducting photosynthesis, so assessing CO2 levels which indicate photosynthesis can help determine additional stomata opening opportunities. C3 photosynthesis is the most common photosynthesis process and the plants employing this type of photosynthesis open their stoma during light and high humidity; however, individual plants vary and a stoma opens in response to ever changing climate conditions. Research your crops to figure out their stomata opening tendencies. Figure out the best times for you and your crops so that you can fully benefit from foliar feeding.

Foliar feeding successfully distributes nutrients throughout a plant, but should be used in conjunction with a solid soil conditioning program. EM-1 soil accelerator helps nourish your soil to produce healthy plants and can double as a foliar feeding solution. Despite best soil fertilization intentions, some areas of the United States are less prone to having healthy soil. Significant research exists surrounding soil nutrient deficiencies as related to geographic location. If you’re interested in learning more about soil health, read over the renowned research by Columbia University’s Tropical Agriculture and Rural Environment Program for their research regarding soil classification.